This invention relates generally to a color adjusting device and related method for adjusting the color of a document to be photocopied by a color photocopy machine which makes use of standard integrated circuit components to reduce the number of mathematical operations performed by the device.
A known color scanner used for color adjustment is designed to carry out a basic masking operation wherein ink color is prevented from being improperly absorbed and the characteristic colors in the original document can be modified depending on the color distortion in the original or the viewer's preference. When masking is used in order to prevent color from being improperly absorbed, a white color signal is allowed to permeate through each filter of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) and a black color signal (K) which is being absorbed is submitted to toning by means of a yellow color adjustment (Y), magenta color adjustment (M), and a cyan color adjustment (C). When masking is used in order to modify the colors of an original document, six hues of Y, M, C, B, G and R are subjected to toning by means of Y, M, C and K color adjustments.
In a conventional color adjustment device, such as those disclosed in Japanese Pat. No. 14845/75 and Japanese patent application No. 181045/83, the number of adjustments needed is great (from 6 to 32) and, because the color adjustment must be made on a number of color separation bases (Y, M, C and K), complex circuitry is needed to perform the complex mathematical operations needed to obtain the resultant color-adjusted document intended for the viewer.